Best method book for teaching?

[Robin Ruscio]

Here's one for all you pedagogues out there:
I have a pretty busy teaching studio and have always used the Rabbath method book for my beginning students. I learned out of Simandl myself and always felt it was little bland, not to mention outdated. i got a lot out of Rabbath's vol 3, particualry the scales, as well as his cd rom, so when i started teaching alot of few yeaers ago, I started using the his Vol 1 with my beginning students. While i think he has some excellent etudes in the book that are very musical, written with the bass in mind, and fun to play (I enjoy them), the excercises leading up to them seem to really hold up my students, i think it may progress a bit to quickly and introduces to much bowing and rhythmic sophistication for many of my students, who are mostly headed towards jazz. i was wondering what those of you who teach are currently using, what are the strengths of any particluar method books, how have they worked with actual students, etc. Also any thoughts on the pros cons of Rabbath for raw beginners would be appreciated. While we're on the subject, i've never used any texts at all with my electric basss students, if anyone has something they'd highly recomend, i'd love to hear about it.

[Johnny L]

I can't really speak as a teacher myself, but my teacher had me going through Vance over the summer. I really like the Vance books. Starts a kid out at the heel of the neck and spreads out from there with nursery rhymes and simple tunes that give one a greater chance to hear what needs to happen in one's head first. The bowings in the first book are simple too. There's also a recording of Rabbath playing all the tunes, all the way up to the Dragonetti Concerto...a nice reward for all the work, I think.

I understand Karr's books are great too, but I haven't seen them and can't add any personal praise yet.

[Christopher]

I like the Vance books too. They encourage use of the entire fingerboard from the get-go and the exercises are musical. If there's an Achilles' heel to them, it's that most of the exercises are in D or G.

If most of your students are headed towards jazz, I think realbooks are indispensible. The Sher ones are comprehensive, and throw in some funk and R&B tunes as well.

[mje]

My 10 year old nephew just finished the first Vance book... watching him play for me today, I was amazed at his facility up in the thumb positions, and how he moved up and down the neck.

[Robin Ruscio]

So i got the Vance books, and have started using them, they've been great! I worked my way throught the first two volumes just to see what kind of skills he's working towards, and i actually enjoyed myself- try saying that about simandl. My students seem to have enjoyed themselves too, and i can see the progress.

[Johnny L]

Glad you and your students are enjoying the books. It will make continuing your students on with the Rabbath books even more rewarding.